Board Votes Down Washington Park Rules

The Cincinnati Park Board voted Sept. 20
to end Park Rule 28, which allowed the Park Board to enact new rules by
placing signs on Washington Park grounds.

The signs, which the city could use to
enforce any park rule as law, recently came under fire by homeless
advocate groups. In a statement, Josh Spring, executive director of the
Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, wrote, “Park Rule 28 allowed
opening for the back-room creation of the special rules in Washington
Park that were written by an employee of the Police Department, a couple
of Park Board employees and (Cincinnati Center Development Corporation)
employees — completely without the input of the public or any
legislative body or process.”

Before the Park Board vote, homeless
advocate groups claimed the rules were being written away from public
view — in part by private companies.

Jerry Davis, member of the Homeless
Congress, cited 3CDC’s involvement in the rule writing as an example:
“3CDC is a private corporation that does not answer to the Citizens of
Cincinnati. This private group should not get to decide what rules are
created and enforced.”

Three Over-the-Rhine residents, including
Davis, sued the Park Board on Sept. 4 to put an end to the signs. In a
statement announcing the lawsuit, Spring claimed the park rules
“discriminate against certain classes of people” — specifically, the
homeless and poor.

Despite the Park Board vote, the lawsuit
will continue. The city will file to dismiss the lawsuit and claims the
lawsuit should never have been brought forward. Aaron Herzig, deputy
city solicitor, says the signs were taken down weeks before the lawsuit
and the only rules remaining are the rules officially published by the
Park Board. (German Lopez)